lewis

 
Pronunciation: /ˈluːɪs/

noun

  • a steel device for gripping heavy blocks of stone or concrete for lifting, consisting of three pieces arranged to form a dovetail, the outside pieces being fixed in a dovetail mortise by the insertion of the middle piece.

Origin:

late Middle English: probably from Old French lous, plural of lou(p) 'wolf', the name of a kind of siege engine